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Word of the Day | discordant

discordant •\ˈdis-ˌkȯr-dənt\• adjective

The word discordant has appeared in 59 New York Times articles in the past year, including on Aug. 8 in “Leader, but Never the Winner” by Victor Mather:

One of the more incongruous sights at the Olympics has been Peter Deary, who drives the derny, a two-stroke motorized bicycle that leads the riders in the keirin race.

… Deary’s appearance is somewhat discordant in an Olympics celebrating fit bodies and high technology. His cycle looks more like the one ridden by the Wicked Witch of the West than
a track racer’s sleek model. His pedaling speed is glacial. His attire is all black, with a decidedly nonaerodynamic helmet. But most remarked upon is his demeanor: absolutely expressionless.